Stefano Terzi, what tensions are currently emerging in the management of water resources?

Stefano Terzi: When conditions of scarcity arise, existing tensions intensify and become more evident. Everyone thinks about securing their own share. This situation seems to be the opposite of what happens during floods, which are instead characterized by a strong push toward solidarity. When I think of recent events, I am reminded of the people in Romagna who took to the streets to shovel mud, or the decision in Trentino to open the Adige-Garda tunnel to prevent flooding in the Verona area despite the consequences for the ecosystems of Lake Garda. When there is too little water, on the other hand, there is a risk of becoming less generous.
The classic example of tension over water is that between upstream and downstream. Those living upstream of a watercourse accuse those downstream of using water inefficiently. Those downstream, on the other hand, complain that those upstream do not want to share a common resource.
In addition, many different sectors use water: agriculture, hydroelectric energy production, ecosystem protection, drinking water providers. One aspect that has not been fully explored, especially in South Tyrol, is the strong pressure exerted by tourism, particularly luxury tourism with thermal baths, swimming pools, and spas.
And then, the cherry on top: climate change. This will further exacerbate differences and inequalities between those who will still have access to large quantities of water and those – perhaps downstream from someone else –who will be more exposed to water shortages.

Today we have sophisticated technologies and monitoring tools. Can this help make water consumption more efficient?

Terzi: It is useful to make up for increasing consumption with technological solutions, but in practice our society seeks to optimize water use mainly to increase profit. I am thinking of studies from Greece, South Africa, and California that show how we are concerned with increasing water supply – by building new reservoirs, new dams, new artificial lakes – but we do not devote the same attention to managing water demand. As a result, paradoxically, with new reservoirs and artificial lakes our society finds itself in a condition of perceived security and further expands water consumption, further narrowing the gap between water demand and supply and exposing itself to greater risks in the event of future droughts.
From my point of view, one of the aspects that is not addressed enough concerns the direction we want to take as a community. There is a great deal of talk about climate change, but the socio-economic issues of development and the pursuit of profit that contribute to placing us in a situation of potential water crisis are not addressed with the same level of interest. We mentioned our pursuit of greater water supply, but there is the added demand of high consumption driven by ever-growing tourism, as well as the demand of agriculture, which also plays a role: forty years ago, apple-growing agricultural areas were neither as extensive nor as intensive.

Can scarcity become a stimulus for collaboration rather than conflict?

Terzi: Certainly, conditions of hardship push people to seek effective solutions, even though emergencies must not be used as an excuse to impose short-term solutions that benefit only a few. An example of effective collaboration is that of river contracts: voluntary instruments that involve public and private actors in the management of water and river territories. Through a participatory approach, a common good is collectively cared for, also through concrete actions such as bank restoration, removal of invasive species, consolidation of eroded areas…
At the local level, however, the Adige River has a basin that is too vast to think of a solution of this kind. We took a step toward greater collaboration by organizing the Adige Water Fair, a moment of dialogue that, for the first time, brought to the same table the people who, in various capacities, deal with the river, from its source to its mouth.
The aim of this event, which took place in May 2025, was to create a sense of community before the situation becomes critical, while it is still possible to engage in dialogue calmly and without excessive pressure. We tried to introduce those working in hydroelectric power to those working in agriculture, those upstream to those downstream… perhaps some people already knew each other, but we widened the circle.

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What was the response?

We received a good response and had more than 130 participants. Another interesting thing was that by organizing this meeting as a real fair rather than a scientific conference, we were able to give it a “business-to-business” focus and gather the needs and requests of the different stakeholders. For example, the South Tyrolean Civil Protection Agency asked us to contribute with further analyses and scientific evidence to support their risk management activities across the provincial territory.
We would like the Adige Water Fair to become a recurring and itinerant event, moving every two or three years to different locations within the river basin.
Following the event, we produced a document of intent that brings together all the insights that emerged during the fair in order to outline a future direction to pursue.

Can you give us a preview of some of these? Have any concrete proposals already emerged?

 We found a strong fragmentation of data. And because of this, a proposal to create a single portal where data and models can be collected so that they are easily downloadable and usable for scientific analyses was discussed. Today, data is scattered among the Basin Authority and individual administrations. For example, hydroelectric data is monitored but not very accessible, while data on agricultural water use are highly fragmented and in some cases absent.
Scientific research itself also often tends to develop in a fragmented way. At Eurac Research alone, we are involved in about ten European projects linked to the Adige River, and greater coordination is needed, including with different research institutes. Being able to share data and results on a single platform supported by the basin community would make it possible to optimize time and resources in addressing common challenges.